Big win in the Panhandle for Rep. Greg Evers, R-Milton. Evers crushed Mike Hill in the Republican battle to replace Republican Durrell Peaden of Crestview in the Senate. Evers took more than 70 percent of the vote in the Panhandle district with more than 37,000 votes counted.

Former state Sen. Daniel Webster cruised to victory over six Republican opponents and will face Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, and TEA Party candidate Peg Dunmire in November. The 8th Congressional District primary was hotly contested as Republicans lined up for a shot at Grayson, a hyper-partisan and polarizing freshman congressman. The fall campaign is already off to a lively start as Dunmire immediately challenged Grayson and Webster to three-way debates, and Republican Party Chairman John Thrasher trashed both Grayson and the TEA Party.

In the race to replace U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, who is the Republican nominee in the race to be the states next commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, the favorites won the Republican and the Democratic nominations. In the Republican primary, former Rep. Dennis Ross had 69 percent against John Lindsey with more than 46,000 votes counted. On the Democratic side, Polk County Elections Supervisor Lori Edwards crushed Doug Tudor who ran against Putnam in 2008. Edwards took 75 percent and Tudor 25 percent with almost 32,000 votes counted.

The Associated Press called the Republican race to replace U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite. Hernando County Sheriff Rich Nugent defeated conservative activist Jason Sager. With more than 75,000 votes counted, Nugent pulled 63 percent. He will face Democrat Jim Piccillo in November.

Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, held off a primary challenge from Dr. Charles Perniciaro on the First Coast. I am honored and humbled that the voters of Northeast Florida have, once again, chosen me to be the Republican candidate for Senate District 8, said Thrasher.I am particularly grateful to my volunteers, my friends and my family for their steadfast commitment to my campaign.I could not have achieved victory tonight without the hard work and dedication of these individuals, and for that I am truly thankful.

If turnout in the primary election is lackluster, Democrats appear to bear the bulk of the blame. As of 8:30 p.m., the Division of Elections had tallied roughly 544,000 votes in the Democratic primaries for U.S. Senate and governor. The Republican turnout, by contrast, topped 860,000 in that party's Senate and gubernatorial primaries. Republicans almost always turn out in greater percentages than Democrats. But this disparity is striking, considering that Florida has 600,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.

That was early. CNN called the race in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate nomination. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek handily defeated billionaire Jeff Greene. With more than 489,000 votes already counted, Meek carried 55 percent and Greene pulled 33 percent. Health educator Glenn Burkett placed third with 7 percent while former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre trailed with 5 percent.

No stunners in the first results of the night. Seconds after the polls closed in the Panhandle, CNN called the race in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate -- former House Speaker Marco Rubio defeated two candidates for the GOP nod. CNN also called that state CFO Alex Sink won the Democratic gubernatorial primary over Brian Moore.

Rick Scott's 11th-hour plea for Florida voters to head to the polls may have fallen on deaf ears. As of 5 p.m., with two hours until the polls close, supervisors of elections were reporting generally light turnout. Some of that may be due to higher levels of early- and absentee-voting. Some of it may have been due to the damp and dreary weather. But either way, today's numbers were nowhere near what Scott and others might have hoped for.

With Florida having won $700 million in federal funds for education in the Race to the Top contest, Gov. Charlie Crist is applauding the news.

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack weighed in on Iran launching its first nuclear reactor -- and called for the Obama administration to pull the plug on that nations fledgling program. Under Mahmoud Ahmadinejads dangerous leadership, Iran continues to enrich uranium and push forward with its plans for a nuclear program, while supporting terrorism and building stronger relationships with other enemies of freedom, said Mack. Irans actions threaten the freedom, security and prosperity of the Middle East.

While proponents of the Everglades-U.S. Sugar deal hailed a federal judge's favorable ruling this week, opponents of the purchase say, "Not so fast." U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno on Monday rejected the Miccosukee Tribe's request for an injunction. The decision was applauded by Kirk Fordham, CEO of the Everglades Foundation.

More politicians from both sides of the aisle are weighing in on Florida being named one of the 10 winners of the U.S. Department of Educations Race to the Top funds.

Florida's string of consecutive monthly gains in home sales was broken in July, as Realtors reported a 14 percent decrease from a year ago. Meantime, the streak of declining sales prices continued -- down 7 percent to a median of $138,000. Florida Association of Realtors President Wendell Davis, noting sharp drops in some Panhandle markets, cited the BP oil spill as a retarding factor. But that didn't deter condominium buyers, as sales rose 11 percent statewide. Of course, condo prices were down again -- off 20 percent.

Whatcha smokin' there, Bill, some of your grass roots? Sorry, had to ask. Here's why: According to The Miami Herald, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum actually told a rapt media gathered in Longwood Tuesday morning -- and you might want to sit down for this one -- "This has been a grass-roots campaign. It's the strongest grass-roots campaign I've been involved with since the very first one I ran." Strong? I'll say. I've seen weaker roots a foot thick in the DeSoto National Forest.